newjez Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 I was schooled in Oz, and I do not remember doing these until year 9. Is the UK system further forward than Oz - or is education more advanced than it was. I guess with calculators and computers, they are free do skip the dull stuff and get into the harder stuff early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 Well my boys are 11 and they seem to be doing stuff way harder than I did at the same age, from what I can remember anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleW Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 I know we were doing that sort of work in year 7 way back when I was at school and my nieces did them around that year as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted May 9, 2013 Share Posted May 9, 2013 Yup, generally ahead in UK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docboat Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 My 8 year old is doing them now. Perth WA, in a tutorial school on Saturdays. 6 year old is one year behind him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 I was schooled in Oz, and I do not remember doing these until year 9. Is the UK system further forward than Oz - or is education more advanced than it was. I guess with calculators and computers, they are free do skip the dull stuff and get into the harder stuff early. How old is year 7? We had First year, Second year etc when I was at school. I remember doing quadratic equations in Mrs McGraths class so I would have been about age 12 or 13. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Yes, we did them in year 7 in Oz (way back when). But subjects are often taught in a much different way now. The 7 year old in my family has been doing science for a year or two but I can't remembering touching the subject until first year high school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 How old is year 7? We had First year, Second year etc when I was at school. Haha me too - we did 1st to 4th year in junior school, then started again at 1st year in high school. So kids today must be more advanced as we didn't even have to learn to count above 4 till we were 15! I guess they don't have Lower and Upper 6th now any more either? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted May 10, 2013 Author Share Posted May 10, 2013 2xx + 5x -12 = 0 Took me a while to remember how to solve the damn things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 My son was doing them as part of an advanced maths class in year 5 here. He was also doing them in year 6 in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northshorepom Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 I've got no idea when I did them. Do people really remember whether they did them in Yr 7, 8 or 9 from years ago? Why would it stick in your mind? Straight (ish) question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted May 10, 2013 Author Share Posted May 10, 2013 Because there was a girl in my class who was very cute at the time. (She became head of neurology at Charlie Gardiner hospital I believe. Well out of my league) I've got no idea when I did them. Do people really remember whether they did them in Yr 7, 8 or 9 from years ago? Why would it stick in your mind? Straight (ish) question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlobeTrotta Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 I actually do recall year 2 so I was 13 but i was older than most that was 1972/73.....we also did differential equations as I recall at 16 for the nasty O'levels I have been trolling for how to get copies of my O'levels as they were GCE O levels set by University fo London and came across two of the papers christ how did I pass them and I dont mean a D ABC were the only passes back then 45-60 was a C 61-70 B and 70+ an A as i recall...though if you sat CSE's and got above 90 you got a C in O level so I took both and got 2 Maths O levels I couldnt do that now if i knew the answers before here are the papers from the Summer of 76...it was a hot one...we got to remove our blazers.... www.scribd.com/doc/16288792/O-Level-Mathematics-Paper-2-June-1976 Thats paper 2 and below is paper 3 hope that gives some idea whether that was harder or not. By all account GCSE Math is now loads easier and from the GCSE papers I have seen - exam papers I certainly think so. These old buggers are horrendous...LOL But may be I am just dumb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest76088 Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 They are very useful. Learning them early has to be a good sign. We were taught them age 12. (-b +-sqr(b**2-4ac) )/2a How could one forget? BigD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 If the kids can't do them on a calculator (and probably the teacher too) then they are going to struggle. TBH I used to hate maths at school and didn't show a lot of interest, so didn't get great results. Years later I went back to do a HTC and a degree so had to go and do a 6 weeks intensive maths and science course to see if I could get up to scratch. To my surprise I did really well and ended up with a distinction in maths. Probably because I thought it was my last chance, at 30, to change my work environment and prospects. I think a lot of the time if kids can't see a use for what they are doing then they don't see much point in doing it. Has anyone come up with a use of a quadratic equation? For the life of me, even though I ended up decent at maths, the harder stuff I learned at uni I've never used since I left. All it showed me was I didn't want to be a mathematician or Control Engineer. Some really heavy maths in Control Engineering. Most of education is just playing the game, getting the bit of paper that gets you into an interview and then, once you've got that far it's down to personality and confidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 I've got no idea when I did them. Do people really remember whether they did them in Yr 7, 8 or 9 from years ago? Why would it stick in your mind? Straight (ish) question I don't remember how old I was, but I remember the teacher that taught me and then from there I can work out how old I was as I know what teacher I had each year. :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 They are very useful. Learning them early has to be a good sign. We were taught them age 12. (-b +-sqr(b**2-4ac) )/2a How could one forget? BigD Strange what sticks in the head over the years eh BigD. Can you remember the last time you used it to solve anything though. Probably school or uni. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Yeah like I said I reckon our kids are doing harder stuff at the same age but no way do I remember specifically what I was doing at that time, I do recall those slates being hard to write on though. I've got no idea when I did them. Do people really remember whether they did them in Yr 7, 8 or 9 from years ago? Why would it stick in your mind? Straight (ish) question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 www.scribd.com/doc/16288792/O-Level-Mathematics-Paper-2-June-1976 That looks an interesting site GT. I'll have a better browse around later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlobeTrotta Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 That looks an interesting site GT. I'll have a better browse around later. Don't get sucked in Im still trying to do it now....LOL How the hell I did the first time...must have been me slide rule...I remember sitting in a shirt & tie, ink well at the ready and sweating like hell....no way of cheating somehow it didn't seem so daunting now i'd just fall in the sword...I now recall why i was looking for copies long since lost of my GCE O levels despite having a BA and MBA LSE wants a copy of my math O level I never finished A levels to do a post grad course in Math I have definitely been in Oz too long the sun has affected my sanity. You had to show your workings in the margins...what workings it was guess work... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlobeTrotta Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Just like Pythagoras theorem although I have used that when doing carpentry and roofing etc ....quads were useless... mush like logs....I have seen that they spend more time teaching applied math now that is a good thing....only engineers need bloody calculus ...it reminds me of what useless stuff they tried to teach at MBA school nothing like real world ...we still did the 11+ back then...least in 69/70.... I think quads were b4 algebra then geometry and trif...then bloody differential and integral calculus and that's where I checked out..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest76088 Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Yesterday. Equilibrium point for a demand curve. BigD Strange what sticks in the head over the years eh BigD. Can you remember the last time you used it to solve anything though. Probably school or uni. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 This is a very reassuring thread for me, my son is in year 5 here and doing very well but we have decided that when he goes back to the UK in July he'll start year 5 again - this will put him in the year behind age wise. I am doing this mainly to help him socially but I was concerned he would be bored educationally. Some things will be new, French instead of Italian, Scottish history and in things like Science he is likely to cover different topics but maths worried me as he is exceptionally good, off the scale in his Naplan in year 3 and there was discussion about him being put forward for a maths scholarship for high school. He certainly isn't doing quadratic equations yet! He has taught himself algebra though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted May 10, 2013 Author Share Posted May 10, 2013 I use trig to work out whether the trees will hit the house if they fall down, and use this as a guide to when to get the tree surgeon in. I had to write a function to calculate APR once. That was quite a challenge. Just like Pythagoras theorem although I have used that when doing carpentry and roofing etc ....quads were useless... mush like logs....I have seen that they spend more time teaching applied math now that is a good thing....only engineers need bloody calculus ...it reminds me of what useless stuff they tried to teach at MBA school nothing like real world ...we still did the 11+ back then...least in 69/70.... I think quads were b4 algebra then geometry and trif...then bloody differential and integral calculus and that's where I checked out..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 2xx + 5x -12 = 0 Took me a while to remember how to solve the damn things. (2x -3) (x+4) = 0 X= 3/2 or -4 My year 9 do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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